


nighttime runners, midnight revelations

by C6H12O6 (killjoycatlady)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Feelings Realization, Friendship/Love, Inspired by Fanart, M/M, Present Tense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:33:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26401222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/killjoycatlady/pseuds/C6H12O6
Summary: On your sixteenth birthday, at 12:00 midnight, your soul words will appear on your left wrist.It’s 11:20 p.m., June 20th, and Shouyou is about to turn sixteen.(Inspired by the art of @TaliaMamane on Twitter)
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 8
Kudos: 349
Collections: KageHina Fics





	nighttime runners, midnight revelations

**Author's Note:**

> Happy KageHina Day 2020! I saw a soulmate AU drawn on Twitter and wrote this instead of doing my homework. 
> 
> The concept credit goes entirely to @ [TaliaMamane](https://twitter.com/TaliaMamane/status/1304080266277859330)  
> and I just translated their AU into writing. 
> 
> Alternatively titled: Ao3 user killjoycatlady doesn't understand how school years and ages work so they took creative liberties.

_On your sixteenth birthday, at 12:00 midnight, your soul words will appear on your left wrist._

_They could be anything, said by anyone._

_Read on a street sign, or in a book you like._

_Sometimes, you won’t even know what those words mean, yet._

_But…they say that when the time is right, they’ll just make sense._

It’s 11:20 p.m., June 20th, and Hinata Shouyou is about to turn sixteen.

Normally, a birthday is a cause for excitement, something casually special that you look forward to each year with a bit of cake and balloons. This would be the case for Shouyou, but it is his sixteenth birthday, and

that

changes

everything.

In exactly 40 minutes—39, now—words will scrawl themselves onto Shouyou’s arm and lay there forever, marking Shouyou for his soulmate. They’re what will make Shouyou’s heart stutter whenever he hears them; they’re the moment that everything falls into place.

Normally, Shouyou would be ordered to go to sleep already, but his mother stays up with him, fidgeting with something or the other in the kitchen while he squirms on the couch. His father is asleep and Natsu was put to bed with much resistance, so it’s just Shouyou and his mother, both silent as she keeps him company during this excruciatingly tense hour.

Shouyou wishes she would just go to bed. His heart is about to fall out of his chest and for the first time in his life he just wants the peace and quiet of darkness.

“Mom,” he says, already slipping his trainers on. “Mom, I’m going to go to the park.”

His mother looks up. “What? No, it’s too late, Shouyou, don’t be ridiculous.”

Shouyou takes tiny bounces in place, unable to contain the nervous energy. “Mom, I can’t just sit here waiting. I need to clear my head. Let me go for a run. Please?”

His voice cracks on the last word, betraying his anxiety, and her face softens before she gives a hesitant and reluctant nod.

“Thanks, Mom!” he shouts, and bolts past the driveway into the night. His mind latches onto the steady thud of his footsteps, the humid breath that tumbles out of his mouth on every exhale. The summer cicadas are a blissful white noise in the background, something Shouyou can listen to over the irrational worries in his brain.

He does a few loops around the neighborhood and then takes one around the nearby park, before collapsing onto a slide in the playground and staring at the stars. They’re very far away and don’t care about Shouyou or the path he’s bound to with another human person by his side.

He’s not prepared for the unrelenting wave of nerves that tides through his body. Shouyou’s optimistic, maybe easily carried away, but he’s never been particularly romantic. He’s one-track-minded to a fault, and this soulmate stuff has always fallen out of the realm of what he considers important enough to worry over.

His body is tingly all over. Try as he might, he can’t deny to himself that this person could be _important_. As important as other things? His family? _Volleyball_? He can’t imagine so. His brain conjures up a wispy image of a human-shaped figure, shorter than him—or maybe taller? The image falls apart and leaves Shouyou with a gaping vacuum in his mind.

The burn in his muscles served as a distraction, but it starts to fade. Shouyou jerks up at the loss of his diversion, the last barrier between him and his jumbled, racing thoughts.

He rests his elbows on his knees, presses his face into his hands, and forces a deep breath. The summer warmth starts to become suffocating, and the screaming of cicadas is now grating against his ears, echoing his emotions. He hates himself for being so unnecessarily worked up, but then again, he should be, shouldn’t he? Because this is someone—

someone—

Important. He can’t fully swallow that thought.

Shouyou might pass out right here, he really might. He wishes he brought a volleyball with him. There’s no such thing as too much practice for your reflexes, after all. He needs—oh, he needs—

His phone buzzes in his lap and Shouyou yelps, having forgotten it was there. It tumbles into the sand and he makes to hastily pick it up and brush off any stray granulates.

The message is from Kageyama, and Shouyou really can’t help but be satisfied at that. He likes to give himself partial credit for egging Kageyama into reaching out to people first, when he wants to talk to someone. And for showing Kageyama that fun can be had outside the gym. Without a volleyball, even.

This text, though, is about volleyball.

_(11:36 p.m.) do you want to come to sakanoshita shop tomorrow ennoshita-san and ukai-san want to go over strategy_

He also can’t help the wriggling warmth in his chest. He’s definitely reading too much into everything, but he can allow himself this much flattery: that he’s wanted at team-strategizing sessions, that _Kageyama_ thinks his input could be useful.

_(11:37 p.m.) ennoshita-san said to ask_

Of course, Kageyama immediately ruins it, but Shouyou fumbles to reply anyway, not letting his spirits be dampened by Kageyama’s stuffiness.

_Why’d he ask you?? Anyone else would have asked more nicely! (11:37 p.m.)_

_(11:38 p.m.) yes or no_

_I cant :(((( im going out w my family for a bday dinner! (11:38 p.m.)_

_(11:39 p.m.) its your birthday tomorrow?_

When Shouyou presses call, he fully expects to be ignored and to leave an angry voicemail, so his heart nearly stops from shock when Kageyama answers, “Hello?”

“How do you not know its my birthday tomorrow?” Shouyou says indignantly. “I talked about this yesterday! _Yesterday_ , Kageyama-kun.”

“Uh, sorry? I wasn’t paying attention.”

Shouyou huffs. “Okay…well?”

“Well?” Kageyama’s voice is his trademark irritated-confused.

“Aren’t you going to wish me happy birthday?”

“It’s not your birthday yet, though,” Kageyama points out.

“Oh, yeah,” Shouyou says, and then lets out a long groan, because his quarrel with Kageyama so effectively distracted him…but Kageyama had to go and remind him.

“Are you sick?” comes Kageyama’s voice suspiciously.

“No,” Shouyou laments. “You just reminded me…I’m getting my soul words tonight. In—” He checks his phone. “18 minutes.”

“Oh.” Kageyama goes quiet, then, with only faint noises from the other line telling Shouyou he hasn’t hung up. He says eventually, “Are you…nervous?” He sounds incredulous.

“Well…yeah!” Shouyou bursts out, even though it smarts to admit it, especially to Kageyama. “It’s important, ya’know.” He says this, fully aware that he was doubting that same statement not five minutes ago.

Kageyama scoffs. “So?”

“So?”

“So you’ll meet them whenever and like them just like that, isn’t that how it works?”

Shouyou makes a defeated noise into the phone, because Kageyama’s technically _right_. “It’s just…weird. I don’t know. Everything’s weird. I went for to run and now I’m just sitting here.”

Kageyama doesn’t reply, and in that moment Shouyou gets an idea—Kageyama _constantly_ drags Shouyou’s attention away from anything not volleyball related. “You should come over!”

“What?” There’s a high pitch to Kageyama’s voice, which Shouyou may have laughed at if his insides weren’t mush.

“Please!” Shouyou asks, a little desperately. “Please, please please please Kageyama—”

“Fine!” Kageyama snaps, which makes Shouyou smile. “Where are you, damnit.”

“In the park by my house, you know the one?” Shouyou says, and then is choked by a whip of uncertainty. His soulmate is making him feel all funny and Shouyou doesn’t even know who they are. “Um, if you really don’t want to, I mean, it’s far, you might not even make it—"

“Shut up, stop being considerate, it’s weird. I’ll make it,” Kageyama says, not even a trace of doubt in his inflection, now. “I was out for a run anyway.”

“Oh…okay.” Shouyou thinks he might combust from emotional overload before he can ever see his soul words. “I’m in the park, by my house.”

“Okay, see you.” And Kageyama hangs up the phone.

Shouyou leans back against the slide, and racks his hands through his hair. He fidgets and twitches, and when the clock hits 11:50 he texts Kageyama to make sure he’s still coming and then sends a jumble of panicky, half-coherent texts, to which Shouyou imagines Kageyama rolling his eyes.

_IM SO NERVOUS IM GOING TO THROW UP BAKAYAMA HURRYYY (11:51 p.m.)_

_IM GOING TO AIM AT YOU IF I DO (11:52 p.m.)_

_HURRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY (11:53 p.m.)_

Kageyama bounds into the park when the clock hits 11:55 p.m. Without thinking much about it, Shouyou runs to meet him halfway, and they collapse against a fir tree, Kageyama from exertion and Shouyou from sheer, dizzying…something.

“You made it,” Shouyou says unnecessarily.

“Told you,” Kageyama pants, as if Shouyou ever actually doubted him.

Shouyou checks his phone. “Five minutes to go,” he says, in a thin, reedy voice reminiscent of a first-year Shouyou before the first Interhigh.

Kageyama struggles to sit up and gives Shouyou a glare through narrowed eyes. “If you throw up, I’m leaving.”

Shouyou sits up as well. “You’re so _mean_ , Kageyama. You know it’s normal to be nervous—it’s my _soulmate_. These words could change _everything_.” He’s probably exaggerating, a little, but he’s entitled to some whining, and Kageyama amplifies everything he says or does. It was a terrible idea to let him come.

Kageyama turns on him, looking more than a little pissed off. He has that look where he’s really going to lay it into Shouyou, the one that usually has him running by the hills, except Kageyama lashes out and grips his hair before he can even move to get up.

“Exactly, you dumbass!” Kageyama snarls, ignoring Shouyou’s muttered “ow, ow, ow”. “They’re the words of someone perfect for you. What don’t you get?”

“They—” Shouyou starts, stung by Kageyama’s tone, but he isn’t allowed to finish.

“They’re supposed to be perfect! And if they suck, I’ll aim a serve at their head.” Kageyama glares at him, daring him to argue.

Shouyou can only gape back. His fingers dig into the soil at his side, and he realizes they’re shaking, almost unnoticeably. From what, he can’t exactly say. Kageyama’s still glaring at him and _that’s_ always terrifying, even though Shouyou knows Kageyama wouldn’t _actually_ hurt him; but still, Kageyama has never offered—threatened to serve at someone’s head on Shouyou’s behalf, before.

“So calm down,” Kageyama says in that deadly voice, and starts to draw back, eyeing Shouyou with an intense, still-challenging gaze. This draws Shouyou from his reverie, and he realizes that he should probably answer.

“Okay,” he answers, trying for a weak smile. “Please don’t kill them, though.”

“No promises,” Kageyama mutters.

Shouyou grins. “Kageyama-kun, you’re scary.”

Kageyama snorts and shoves at Shouyou’s shoulder. Shouyou lets himself be tipped backwards, so he can fall against the soft grass and spread his arms at his sides. Kageyama moves back to lean against the tree trunk again.

Shouyou closes his eyes. Moments pass in warm silence, a foreign enough occurrence that Shouyou feels the need to say _something_. “Oi, Kageyama, I promise even if my soulmate is an amazing setter I’ll still let you toss to me.”

Those words come out with a teasing lilt, but fall a little too serious for Shouyou’s comfort.

He can’t see Kageyama’s expression, and it’s a few seconds before Kageyama replies, “Shut up, stupid. I’m obviously way better than them anyway.”

“Oh, you’re sure, are you?” Shouyou scoffs, but he apologetically admits to his nameless soulmate that yeah, Kageyama probably is.

When it hits 12:00 a.m. Shouyou isn’t paying attention.

His soulmate demands his attention anyway, because Shouyou can _feel_ the words engrave themselves into his skin. He stands straight up with a cry of surprised pain and clutches his left arm, staring at the angry red, raised lines that slowly become more defined. Shouyou’s never gotten a tattoo before, but he imagines this is what it feels like, except for him every inch of the words is being drilled in at once.

As abruptly as it started, it stops, leaving only a tender, lingering memory of the pain. Shouyou swallows hard; he can feel Kageyama’s eyes locked onto him, silent and steady.

Shouyou takes a deep breath and checks his arm.

It reads, in small, precise characters: _When I’m here, you’re invincible!_

A lump forms in Shouyou’s throat. At once, several things start to click into place. The cicadas’ song rings in his ear and no amount of breath seems to be enough, as the world swirls around him.

He stares at his soul words, and there isn’t an ounce of mystery or uncertainty left. His future suddenly seems dizzyingly clear. He's turned sixteen, the night will fade to day, and there’s only one person on Earth this soul mark could ever belong to.

“Oi, Hinata.”

Shouyou’s head snaps up as Kageyama’s hands curl over his shoulders, and he clutches his arm against his body on reflex.

Kageyama’s expression sours. “You look like you’re about to pass out.”

Shouyou shakes his head and Kageyama releases him, still looking like he expects Shouyou to collapse or sprout wings.

“K—Kageyama,” Shouyou manages to croak out. He holds out his arm, unable to lift it properly, but enough so that Kageyama knows what Shouyou means.

Kageyama has a strange look on his face, but he takes Shouyou’s arm.

When his hands encircle Shouyou’s wrists, Shouyou’s eyes flutter shut. It’s all too much, everything happening, and then the electrifying feel of Kageyama’s fingers brushing against his still-sensitive skin.

Shouyou knows the exact moment when Kageyama reads it, because his breath hitches and his hand tightens momentarily.

“Has…” Shouyou cracks his eyes open, and Kageyama’s deep blue gaze meets his. There’s something unidentifiable in his eyes, something more fragile and vulnerable than Shouyou is used to. “Has anybody else ever told you that?”

“No. Never,” Shouyou whispers, and he wants to look away, because Kageyama’s stare is setting him on _fire_ , but he can’t.

“Are you sure?” Kageyama asks, and if his voice wavers at the end, if his eyes are glassy, then—

then—

“Yes, stupid!” A strange noise escapes his mouth, a weird laugh combined with a sigh of relief, and now his knees give out, and he collapses back onto the grass.

His body feels floaty, like he’s made of air. His stomach swoops with a giddiness that nearly offsets his balance, and it’s such a strange feeling, so different yet so similar to his nausea of anxiety from earlier.

 _I’m happy,_ a small and more conscious part of his brain notes with amazement. He’s happy, and it’s because there’s no one in the whole wide world he would rather his soulmate be.

It’s a life-changing revelation, and yet he can only cover his face with his hands and laugh into his palms, because nothing has ever made more sense. It never occurred to him before, but he’s not in the slightest bit surprised; maybe it was when he ran into Kageyama outside that bathroom in middle school, or when he saw Kageyama for the first time in Karasuno’s gym, or when they hit their first quick, but it was always him. There wouldn’t be anyone who even has a chance of competing.

He hears grass shift in front of him, and Kageyama’s kneeling down, a respectable meter away from him, eyebrows knit in some form of concern. Shouyou can’t understand why there would be that downward tilt to his mouth when Shouyou feels like the sunrise itself, unless—

He stops smiling and leans forward abruptly, digging his knuckles into the dirt, suddenly cold despite the summer heat. Kageyama gives him a wary look as he scoots closer.

“Hey, Kageyama,” he says, and his voice comes out far too squeaky. He clears his throat and starts over. “Hey, Kageyama…you’re okay with this, right? If—if you’re not, you can say so.”

Kageyama blinks with those eyes that can make his heart soar or pin him to the ground. “Me? Yeah, of—of course I am. Are _you_?” He says that with such ridiculous hesitance that Shouyou could laugh (he doesn’t, because he’s not that mean).

“Don’t be an idiot.” Shouyou bites his lip and scuffles the ground. It’s such a bizarrely delicate moment that he feels compelled to ask, “Can I hug you?”

Kageyama squints at him, and Shouyou’s heart nearly drops out his stomach before Kageyama says, “Since when do you need _permission_?”

He may be smiling, but he’s hidden in the shadow of the tree and Shouyou can’t tell.

Shouyou isn’t the best with words and so he follows his instincts. He tackles Kageyama in a hug.

He nearly causes Kageyama to brain himself on the tree trunk, but like Shouyou expects him to, stabilizes them just in time.

“Dumbass, try not to kill me before I get my own mark.”

Shouyou makes a weird, pleased, chirpy noise in the back of his throat, and hugs Kageyama properly. His nose is pressed against the crook of Kageyama’s neck, and his hand scrabbles at the back of Kageyama’s neck. Kageyama stiffens for just a moment before he snakes an arm around Shouyou, securing him where he’s practically sitting on Kageyama’s lap. He turns his head so that Shouyou can feel his smile brush against Shouyou’s nape.

Shouyou can only tighten his hold and let out a contented sigh into the summer air.

It’s a promise that goes even further than their declaration to stand on the international stage together.

He’s never hugged Kageyama before, which now seems like a crime against humanity, in the perfect meld of Kageyama’s body against his.

He thinks he might never let go.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Kudos are appreciated, comments are treasured, and above all I hope you enjoyed. 
> 
> You can contact me on Tumblr @killjoycatlady or on Twitter @killjoycatlady_. Make sure to check out the art that inspired this fic, which I have linked in the beginning notes.


End file.
